Biooxidation process for recovery of metal values from sulphur-containing ore materials
AssigneesNewmont Gold Company, Newmont Mining Corporation
InventorsJames A. Brierley, David L. Hill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of one or more metal values from a metal ore material in the presence of clays and/or fines material, said ore material being comprised of one or more metal values and a matrix material having a sulfur content wherein the sulfur is present in an oxidation-reduction state of zero or less. The process comprises forming particulates from particles of said ore material, particles comprising said clays and/or fines material, an acid-resistant polymeric agglomeration aid and an inoculate comprising bacteria capable of at least partially oxidizing the sulfur content; forming a heap of said particulates; biooxidizing the sulfur content and recovering those one or more metal values.
Claims29
A process for the recovery of one or more metal values from a metal ore material in the presence of clays and/or fines material, said ore material being comprised of one or more metal values and a matrix material having a sulfur content wherein sulfur is present in an oxidation-reduction state of zero or less, said process comprising forming particulates from particles comprising said ore material, particles comprising said clays and/or fines material, an acid-resistant polymeric agglomeration aid having an acid resistance at a pH of about 1.3 to less than 2.5, and an inoculate comprising bacteria capable of at least partially biooxidizing the sulfur content;
- forming a heap of said particulates;
- biooxidizing the sulfur content and recovering one or more metal values from said ore material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.